Not sure how, but I've managed to get my FIRST EVER case of poison ivy ... or, who knows, maybe it's poison oak or something, I dunno. What I DO know is that it itches, and of course I have been warned NOT to scratch it ... otherwise, supposedly, it will spread ...

Any helpful hints/home remedies/suggestions, etc.?

* Trying really really really hard not to scratch my itchy chin, left wrist and left earlobe!! *

am finding you something, i get this question all the time as a master gardener
this will tide you over for the a little while

Leaflets of Three… Beware of Me!
Patrick Weicherding,Extension Educator, Anoka County

Each year, an estimated two out of three Americans develop an allergic rash after contact with poison ivy, poison sumac, or poison oak. Unfortunately, there is considerable confusion regarding the identification of these plants and the ways they are able to inflict their pain and misery on our skin.

The rash we get from contact with these plants is an allergic rash (dermatitis) caused by an oil called urushiol (oo-ROO-she-ol). All species of poison ivy, oak, and sumac have urushiol in their roots, stems, and leaves. The oil may be deposited on the skin by direct contact with the plant or contaminated objects such as shoes, clothing, tools, and animals, or as airborne urushiol particles from burning plants.

Once urushiol touches the skin, it begins to penetrate in minutes. In fact, it binds to skin proteins within 10 to 15 minutes. Approximately 24 to 36 hours after a sensitized person is exposed to urushiol, a blistery, itching rash develops. If there is no secondary infection your skin will heal in about 2 to 4 weeks.

Like many poisonous plants, poison ivy, oak, and sumac are steeped in folklore, misunderstood, or mismanaged. Here are a few of the many myths about poison ivy and its relatives:


Myth #1 – Scratching poison ivy blisters will spread the rash. Not true! Fluid leaking from blisters will not spread the rash. Well before the blisters form, however, you may spread the urushiol on your hands to other parts of your body.


Myth #2 – Poison ivy is contagious. Not true! The rash is simply a reaction to urushiol. The rash cannot pass from person to person; only urushiol can be spread by direct contact.


Myth #3 – You can "catch" poison ivy simply by being near the plants. Not true! Direct contact or contact with smoke from burning plants is needed to introduce urushiol onto the victim.


Myth #4 – Once allergic, always allergic to poison ivy. Not true! A person’s sensitivity changes over time even from season to season. People who were sensitive to urushiol as children may not be allergic as adults.


Myth #5 – Don’t worry about dead plants. Not true! Urushiol remains active on any surface, including dead plants, for up to five years.


Myth #6 – One way to protect yourself from poison ivy is to keep yourself covered outdoors. Partly true! Urushiol can stick to your clothes, which you can touch so it can be spread to your skin later.


Myth #7 – Poison oak can be found in Minnesota. Not True! Some leaves of poison ivy have a lobed-appearance and many people assume this is poison oak but true poison oak does not grow in Minnesota. It is a zone 5 plant.

Thanks, Kent. I THINK I may have somehow come into contact with urushiol when I was re-potting a couple of plants ... though I was not actually in contact with any poison ivy plants (that I know of; I was re-potting a poppy plant and my orange hibiscus). The reason I think this is because shortly thereafter, I noticed 3 small bumps (like insect bites) on my left wrist and merely thought I'd been bitten by a mosquito or perhaps a spider. Anyhoo, that's where this all started.

I don't have it BAD, but this itching is annoying!!!

: (

GRRRRRRRRR!!

Lynne - try calomine lotion or any anti-itch cream. They should give you some relief from the itching. Main thing is NOT to itch because you don't want to infect the blistered areas. Feeling your pain, sister. I once got it so bad that my fingers swelled til they touched from tip to base. They looked like sausages, and I couldn 't bend them! After that, I got shots every spring for a long, long time.

Cher

here

this gives some care on it.
maybe go to a pharmacy and see what they recommend
kent

First, realize that it's a very potent oil that makes you itch. The oil gets into your skin, just like hand/body lotion would. That's the key.

Anything that will make your skin dry out will help with poison ivy. Years ago I found a dish washing product called Grease Relief (from Meijer) that really dried out my hands when I washed pots and pans on camp outs. I started using this for poison ivy and it works ~very~ well early on when you first notice it. After the poison ivy works deeper into your skin, it doesn't work as well, but it still helps.

Any degreaser in hot water should help, (but be very careful to keep it out of your eyes) or anything else that dries out your skin by emulsifying the oils and floating them away.

Something that dissolves the oil and then absorbs it deeper into your skin would just make it worse.

Rick.C

I'm sorry about the poison ivy, Lynne, it can really suck. I actually just finished a dermatology rotation and we saw this several times. The poison ivy oil breaks down pretty quickly from body heat so you don't have to worry about it "spreading." It will likely move a little, but it is simply reacting to areas already exposed. Make sure that you wash whatever clothes you were wearing when you contacted the poison ivy as the oil can remain on inanimate things for years. Absolutely try creams/ointments with hydrocortisone, zinx oxide, and/or menthol and oral benadryl. If that doesn't completely control it you can add soaking in aveeno (oatmeal prep) with alamine lotion (but these aren't as effective--the calamine lotion won't really work with a greasy ointment). If you are really suffering, the only certain cure is to go to a doctor and get some prescription strength topical steroids, he/she might even prescribe oral steroids depending on the severity of your reaction. It will likely take several weeks for the irritation to clear, and as I said, expect the itchy areas to move around a little. Good luck!

edited because I forgot who wrote the initial email...

Wow, I'm feeling better already ~ in no small part thanks to everyone's input!!

: )

Took some Benadryl about an hour ago, hoping that will help. I'm also trying a variety of creams and lotions (including calamine!), and even a little bit of my Gold Bond Medicated Powder.

Thanks for all the input, Apples!!

: )

Lynne, I checked your bio and noticed you like cats. Pets are a common source of poison ivy if they go outside. They walk through or brush against it and get the oil on their fur and then you get it when you pet them. It doesn't seem like they would get enough oil on their fur to affect you, but the stuff is sooooo powerful that if one little molecule even looks at your cat crosseyed, that's enough for you to catch it. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but only by a little.

From the Poison Ivy facts site:
# Only 1 nanogram (billionth of a gram) needed to cause rash
# Average is 100 nanograms for most people
# 1/4 ounce of urushiol is all that is needed to cause a rash in every person on earth

Anyway, if you have a cat, it might be time for a kitty bath.

Rick.C

I thought of you today, Lynne, as I was photographing some fiddleheads in the woods. I almost leaned up against a tree to steady myself a bit more when I noticed poison ivy growing up it. Needless to say, I stopped myself from doing so VERY quickly!

Hope you're feeling better.

Cher

Be careful out there, Cher!!

: )

Yes, I'm feeling better. Taking Benadryl pills and dousing my arm with Ivy Dry every few hours. Other people have had this stuff a LOT worse than I do, for sure!